Ariana Grande Describes “Thank U, Next” as the “Salvation of My Life” Following Mac Miller’s Death and the Manchester Terrorist Attack

Ariana Grande’s Musical Journey

Ariana Grande credited her hit album “Thank U, Next” with “Saving My Life” during a dark period for the pop singer.

Discussing Mental Health

In the latest episode of Hollywood Reporter The Podkast “Awards” featuring Ariana Grande, the singer-actress opened up about her struggles with mental health in the past and how music played a crucial role in her recovery.

“Thank U, Next” was released just a few months after her 2018 album “Sweetener,” which was written and recorded in only two weeks — something Grande stated she “needed.”

She explained to Hollywood Reporter: “I did so much therapy, and I dealt with PTSD and different types of grief, depression, and anxiety. Of course, I took this very seriously, but music was a part of this process, and it absolutely contributed to the salvation of my life. These were dark times, and music brought so much frivolity.”

Listen to Ariana Grande chat with Hollywood Reporter‘s “Awards Chatter” below.

With “Thank U, Next,” which emerged shortly after “Sweetener,” Grande acknowledged that her record label was “indecisive,” but she viewed it as a “means of survival.” She stated: “The label understood this, but they also didn’t want to halt the momentum of ‘Sweetener’ to switch to the album so quickly… I simply said, ‘I’m not worried about the formula. I don’t want to play by the rules at the moment, because this is what I need for my soul.’ It felt really healing and liberating.”

“Thank U, Next” became a lifeline for Grande during several tumultuous months. In September 2018, her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller died from an accidental drug overdose, and in October of that year, she split from comedian Pete Davidson. The year before, she suffered trauma from a deadly terrorist attack during her concert in Manchester in 2017, which left her with PTSD.

More recently, Grande had a remarkable year in 2024, releasing her latest album “Eternal Sunshine” and dominating the global box office as Glinda in Wicked — a role for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2025 Oscars.

She also appeared on the Variety Award Scheme Podkast earlier this year, where she discussed the vocal training she undertook for her “dream” role as Glinda, as well as a new song that her character performs in the upcoming sequel, Wicked: Forever, set for release in theaters on November 21.

“Yes, and?” the singer noted that portraying the beloved pink witch came with a significant sense of responsibility, and she admitted that she had to completely transform her vocal abilities, dedicating months to training her voice to sing soprano.

She also teased fans about a new Glinda song, written by the original Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz, with whom her co-star Cynthia Erivo collaborated on an original track for the sequel.

In a four-star review of Wicked, Nick Levin wrote for NME: “Wicked may have its flags down a bit, but it’s not enough to weaken the dramatic climax where Elphaba and Glinda travel to Oz to meet the legendary wizard (Jeff Goldblum). He and Yeoh deliver their brief musical numbers with twinkly charisma, but Erivo and Grande both shine incredibly.”